1 Corinthians 7:1–9: Marriage and Singleness
Paul answers a question from Corinth about marriage and singleness, and he refuses to rank one above the other. Both are gifts from God, and both call for faithfulness rather than spiritual scorekeeping.
1 Corinthians 7:3–5: Mutual Intimacy in Marriage
Paul treats sexual intimacy as a debt each spouse owes the other and a body entrusted to the other's care, not as a private preference. The passage rules out both using intimacy as leverage and quietly withdrawing from a spouse.
1 Corinthians 7:3–5: Sex as Mutual Debt
Paul treats sexual intimacy in marriage as a debt each spouse owes the other, grounded in a startling mutual authority over one another's bodies. Withholding becomes the thing commanded against, not the reward for good behavior.